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undulating flights from one resting place to another, and always 

 alighting on some little hillock, or a jutting stump ; I have also 

 seen them perch on rails. When the hen bird is sitting, the male 

 is very solicitous of his charge, and will flit before you to try and 

 lead you away, all the while uttering his call note, which I can 

 only compare to the striking of two pebbles together. On the 

 sandhills of our coast I have seen him feed the female on her nest, 

 and also take her place for a short time, as if to allow her to 

 exercise her feet and wings, and to take a little recreation. 



During the breeding season the Wheatear has a sweet and varied 

 little song, often poured forth on the wing, while hovering over his 

 partner on the nest, during which his tail is alternately closed and 

 spread open like a lady's fan. Once when crossing Glasson Moss 

 on a fine spring morning, I noticed a male Wheatear in beautiful 

 breeding plumage, sitting on a little mound of earth, and he was 

 singing his love song beautifully. I was close to him, and tried to 

 note down in my pocket book his varied notes, but I had to give 

 it up ; I could not find words to describe it. Although its song is 

 not loud, there is something extremely pleasing in its softness ; and 

 it is all the more acceptable at this time, because the majority of 

 our songsters, both resident and visitors, have not as yet commenced 

 to pour forth their melody. In my walk that day I never saw a 

 female, although males were fairly plentiful all along the littoral. 



It is rather curious that in nearly all our summer visitors the 

 males precede the females for some days. Birdcatchers are well 

 aware of this fact ; and all they catch in the first flight are sure to 

 be males, Sometimes a week or so elapses before you see the 

 females. What is the reason of this ? Is it because the males are 

 stronger, and brave the hardships of the journey better? Perhaps 

 it may be that the initiative in all that relates to the continuance 

 of the species devolves upon the male. This is a puzzling question, 

 and one that will take some time before it is thoroughly explained, 

 although I have no doubt that in the course of a few years there 

 will be some satisfactory explanation given. The reports on 

 migration are getting more complete every year, owing to the 



